show me your hook

[nhbuck1]

Can you guys post some photos on how you each individually hook your string

[two4hooking]

ok, not mine....but a pretty good shot:

 

[McDave]

To me, this is a good illustration of a deep hook.  The fingers are curled back toward the shooter, but not excessively.  They are curled enough to hold the string without having to tense the muscles in the hand, but not so much that they would create tension in the other direction (particularly for those of us who are getting older and have a limited range of movement).

[Tradcat]

Great illustration McDave

[danshao]

I too have recently been searching for a proper way to hook the string. I think a thick glove may be too much in the way to curl the fingers backward and instead the fingers tend to slide and roll as I draw back near the anchor. Time for me to try the tabs again.

Update: tried the tab thing again with good results. The tab allows me to hook it firmer without too much force in curling the fingers to point back at me, so that I can focus more on my back. I really like this thread and how it makes me rethink what I'm doing and associate my problems (back tension, release and creeping forward) with a simple root cause.

[crazynate]

John Shulz knows best. Good picture

[nhbuck1]

Shulz hook is not a deep hook is it?

[YORNOC]

I fall into the "poor position" category. I shoot at the end of my finger tips. I don't try to, just what I have always done.

[Bowwild]

It is a good illustration but, a lot of folks who have the string too far on the end of the fingers will bow the back of the draw hand (as McDave wrote).  The illustration doesn't show that tense bowing condition.

Often new shooters, especially kids, with the string on the fingertips will complain that they "cannot let go".  

The fingertip string set and holding the bow arm up and still until the arrow strikes the target are the two most wrongful myths in archery.

[njloco]

At least I know I'm doing one thing correctly, thanks !

[Woodpuppy]

Thanks for this posting! I've just started back into archery, and I've been fighting my groups going left of my sight picture (I'm right handed / right eyed). I've always shot off my fingertips, and with this post in mind I specifically tried curling my fingers around the string more. Holy smokes, my groups snapped back to center. Tried it again off fingertips, grouped back to the left. Deeper hook, back to center. I'm amazed how much difference this makes. And both the draw and the release seem easier too. Now... why was this happening, since it never seemed to be a problem before? Who knows...